Jack and Elizabeth Vignette Two - The Cold Winter
by jellybean49
Summary: Jack and Elizabeth continue to navigate their relationship through the cold winter months.
1. Chapter 1

Introduction:

Dear readers, this is my second story with Jack and Elizabeth. You don't need to have read the first story (Jack and Elizabeth Vignette) to enjoy this one, but there is a little carry-over. Enjoy!

Vignette 2 – The Cold Winter 

Chapter 1

 _I need a new wardrobe!_ Elizabeth thought as she looked through her clothes. _Who would have thought that courting could damage so many clothes? The algae and mud stained skirt was the rabid dog's fault, and the coal marks on the one skirt could be blamed on Rip, but all the rest. . . . they were most definitely Jack's fault. The scorched skirt, the strawberry stains on the white dress, the grass stains on the gray blouse, the small tear in the pink blouse. . . . all Jack's fault. If he wasn't so attractive, I wouldn't have been rolling too close to the fire, or in the strawberry patch, or in the field of tall grass. .. oooh that was a nice time,_ she thought as she held up the gray blouse, remembering their picnic in the field. _And the tear in the blouse, how was I supposed to know his cufflink was stuck on my blouse?_

Elizabeth sat on her bed exasperated. How could she explain to her mother that she'd like her to send her new clothes? She certainly couldn't tell her the truth; that courting Jack was much more physical than she ever imaged. It wasn't Elizabeth's fault that the weather had been beautiful in the summer and fall . . . and Jack was so handsome . . . . and the only privacy they almost ever had was when they were outside away from town. Now that winter was here, she didn't know where they were going to find a private place to kiss!

 _I'll just not explain anything. Mother will assume that being a school teacher is a hard and dirty job!_

Elizabeth finished writing to her mother, politely explaining that there weren't a lot of clothing options in Hope Valley, and she would appreciate a few new skirts when they sent the next parcel of books.

* * *

As she was walking back from posting her letter and receiving one from Julie, she shivered at the chilly weather.

Jack was leaving the livery when he saw Elizabeth. He was about to call out to her, when he heard someone else call her name.

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth, over here!", Rosemary waved to Elizabeth. As Elizabeth crossed the street, Rosemary brought her over to two people whom Elizabeth had never seen.

"This is Mr. Fenderson. He and his daughter are staying in one of the mining houses. He's here on business with the railroad company. And this is his daughter, Anne. I was just telling them all about you", Rosemary said with her usual exuberance.

"She's going to teacher's college!" Rosemary exclaimed.

"Well, not yet, but I hope to soon. I'm studying for the college entrance examinations now", the girl, who looked to be about 17 years old, explained.

Jack looked over at the group of four talking. Even from across the street, he could tell that the man's overcoat was tailored and of expensive quality. The young lady shaking hands with Elizabeth was dressed impeccably. Without realizing it, Jack's face turned into a scowl, as he walked into the jail. Ever since the trips to Hamilton, men with money rubbed him the wrong way.

After agreeing with Anne to meet for a cup of coffee later to talk about teaching, Elizabeth hurried home out of the cold.

* * *

Back in the parlor, Elizabeth signed with an air of annoyance as she read Julie's letter.

What's wrong, Elizabeth?" Abigail inquired as she saw Elizabeth

"Oh, just another letter from Julie, wondering why Jack still hasn't spoken to father about asking for my hand, or asked me", she said with exasperation as she put down piece of paper.

"Well, why hasn't he?"

"I have no idea."

"Haven't you talked about? You certainly spend enough time together", Abigail noted with a smile.

"Of course, we've talked about. That's what is so strange. Jack talks about when we have kids, and where we'll live, . . . . having a ranch with a front porch with rocking chairs, and he always makes it sound like it will happen, but . . . . . he still hasn't actually asked me yet."

"Why don't you ask him why?"

"I haven't figured out what to say yet. I have to be subtle about it." Elizabeth said, determined to find out what Jack was thinking.

* * *

That evening, Abigail went upstairs and left Jack and Elizabeth alone in the parlor. As they snuggled on the couch, Jack kept one foot firmly planted on the ground, his head resting on the side arm to the couch. Elizabeth was resting against him, her head on his chest. He closed his eyes, and gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think about our future?"

"You know I do"

"And?, she prodded.

"And what?

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you too, Elizabeth" Jack said as he kissed her head.

"So, why haven't you asked me to marry you yet?" she demanded. _So much for being subtle,_ she thought.

It took Jack a moment before he responded. "I thought about it. Months ago, I had it planned. But I realized it's too soon. If I ask you now, our engagement would probably be about four months long, and then we'd get married and I think . . . . I think that's too soon for us."

"Why do you assume our engagement would be four months, and why is that too soon?" Elizabeth asked, somewhat annoyed, but trying to keep her tone pleasant. _It's a marriage, not a prison sentence,_ f _or goodness sakes!,_ she thought _._

 _"_ I asked around and the average engagement is four months _."_ Jack said.

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Well, then we'd get married."

Jack paused before continuing somewhat nervously.

"When we're married, we'll do things. Things I really want to do now. The only reason we don't do those things now is because we're not married, and those are married things. But once we're married, we'll do things . . . a lot . . . and then things will happen. And once things happen, you can't go back. Not that I'd want to, but still, I think it's too soon for those second things."

"Jack, if you use grown-up words instead of "things", I might understand better", Elizabeth said exasperated. _I know Jack can be shy with his emotions, but this is ridiculous_ , she thought.

"Elizabeth, I'll want to be with you as a husband . . . a lot. And then, since we'll be together as a husband and wife . . .a lot, you'll soon be expecting an addition to our family."

Elizabeth lifted her head from Jack's chest and looked him in the eye. "So, you don't want us to get married soon because you're not ready to start a family?"

"I haven't been a Mountie for long. I don't know where my next assignments will be. You just started teaching last year. If we start a family soon, things will change. You'll have to stop teaching. I'll have to reconsider some assignments. I thought it might be better to wait awhile. Just enjoy the two of us."

Elizabeth put her head back on Jack's chest. "I'm so glad you feel that way, Jack, because I feel the same way," Elizabeth said. _Well, not exactly, but he is making sense, s_ he thought ruefully.

Elizabeth rose early the next morning. She wanted to spend the whole day with Jack before he left on his trip tomorrow _._ After breakfast, she bundled up and walked over to the jail.

"Good morning, Jack!" she said cheerfully, but then jumped when a gust of wind blew the door closed behind her with a bang.

"Elizabeth, I thought we were meeting later for lunch", Jack said when he looked up from his desk.

"I know, but I was hoping we good spend time together this morning."

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but I've got a lot to do before I leave."

Elizabeth tried not to show her disappointment, but her pouty face would have betrayed her if Jack had taken notice.

"How about I meet you around noon? We'll have a nice lunch and then spend the rest of the day together." Jack barely looked up as her as he shuffled papers around, and packed his saddlebag.

Feeling slightly ignored, Elizabeth left, and walked home. _I guess I can do some school work before lunch._

* * *

Elizabeth looked at the clock for the third time. 12:40. Jack was late.

"Can I do anything to help you?" Elizabeth asked Abigail, as she entered into the kitchen.

"I'm okay with the cooking, but could you get me some potatoes from the root cellar?"

Elizabeth hated going down into the root cellar. She tried to imagine it was like the cave entrance that she and Jack liked to visit, but it wasn't. It was dark and creepy, and she was always afraid she would come across a mouse. At least in the summertime, it was a momentary escape from the heat. But in the winter, it was just dark and creepy.

Sensing her hesitation, Abigail added, "Don't worry, we haven't had a mouse down there in ages".

Elizabeth grabbed a basket and a lantern and headed down the steps. As she started putting potatoes in the basket, she dropped one on the floor, and watched it roll under a shelf. Sighing with exasperation, she bent down and reached her hand under the shelf, feeling around in the dimness for it.

 _What was that weird noise_?

The first bite took her by surprise. _Ouch!_ She yanked her arm out and stared at her hand. Momentarily confused, she was trying to reconcile the rattling noise with the tiny spots of blood appearing on her hand, when the snake attacked again.

Stumbling backwards, she knocked over the lantern which shattered on the ground. Her scream echoed around the cellar and rose up through the cellar doorway. It jolted the customers from their meals, and Jack from his thoughts as he walked in the Café door.


	2. Chapter 2-The Bite

Chapter 2 – The Bite

When Jack and Abigail hurried down the steps, they found Elizabeth stumbling in the dark on the cellar floor. Stepping over the broken glass, Jack gently helped her up by her elbow while Abigail held a lantern.

"Did you trip? You're not hurt, are you?" Jack asked.

"Watch out for the glass. I'll go get a broom", Abigail said casually.

"A snake, Jack!", Elizabeth exclaimed.

"You saw a snake? Down here in the cellar? Well, it must have found it warmer here than outside. You probably scared it more than it scared you", he said unconcerned.

"It bit me." Elizabeth said as she showed Jack her hand, and began to feel weak.

Jack's demeanor changed instantly, and he picked her up in his arms. "Let's get you upstairs", he said.

Jack hurriedly carried her up the cellar steps and laid her on the parlor couch.

"Keep your arm down. It needs to stay below your heart level. I don't want you moving. We need to keep you heart rate low", he instructed Elizabeth. _Stop worrying, it was probably just a harmless garter snake,_ he told himself.

Noticing the small spots of blood on her blouse sleeve as well as her hand, he gently rolled up the sleeve, revealing two more puncture marks.

"Was it poisonous?", Abigail asked.

"Elizabeth, do you remember anything about the snake?" Jack questioned.

"It was too dark to see much. I just heard the rattle", she said anxiously.

Jack grimaced. If it had a rattle, he didn't need her to describe how the snake looked; it wasn't a harmless garter snake.

While Abigail ran across the street to find the doctor, Jack began washing the wounds. There were just two small puncture marks on the hand, and another two on the arm, but already her limb was starting to swell.

"It hurts, Jack", Elizabeth whimpered.

"I know, sweetie. It's going to be just fine", he said with more confidence then he felt.

"The doctor's out at the Morgenson farm. It's at least a 15 minute ride by horse. Lee's gone on his motorcycle." Abigail came back breathless with the news.

"He won't have any anti-venom here anyway. Abigail, I need you to send a telegram," Jack instructed, giving her the necessary information.

"Can I help, Mountie Jack?" asked Gabe, who had entered through the Café. Jack sent the boy to quickly get his saddlebag

Jack carefully made a very small incision over each puncture wound, making sure to cut just barely below the surface of the skin. Using his mouth and a handkerchief, he sucked each site three times, spit out the blood, and rinsed his mouth. Miserably, he knew his efforts would have gotten out only a small portion of the poisonous venom which was now moving through Elizabeth's veins. Once again, he washed each wound.

"Sweetie, how are you feeling?" he asked as he looked at Elizabeth, who was now starting to sweat profusely.

"Elizabeth!", he said loudly when she didn't immediately respond.

"I'm a little dizzy. . and I feel prickling all over."

"I'm just going to put a splint on your arm so you don't move it", he gently told her.

As he grabbed some supplies and prepared a splint, Jack noticed that her hand and arm, now very swollen, were starting to become discolored.

"Jack, why are you cutting my blouse?"

"Your arm is still swelling. I need to cut the sleeve so it doesn't constrict your blood flow."

"I don't understand, why does my other hand hurt so much?", a confused Elizabeth asked.

Jack lifted her other hand from where it was hanging off the side of the couch. Blood dripped down onto the floor. Jack saw a gash and the glint of glass sticking out of her skin.

"I'll get to that one in a minute. It looks like you cut it on a piece of glass from the broken lantern. It will be just fine", he tried to assure her as he tightened the splint. The cut hand was the least of his worries.

When he looked up from her arm, Jack noticed that Elizabeth was breathing rapidly. Her chest was moving in and out as if it were straining to get air.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to lift up the back of your blouse and loosen your corset, okay?"

Elizabeth just nodded as Jack lifted her blouse and undid the strings.

Jack's movements were automatic; he tried to remain detached and forget he was working on Elizabeth. But when Gabe brought him his saddlebag and Jack removed the vial of echinacea oil, he couldn't help himself. His voice cracked as he asked Gabe to keep Elizabeth still while he gave it to her.

Jack knew that the American Indian remedy was Elizabeth's only chance at this point. He had carried the small vial, cushioned in cotton and leather, in his saddlebag since the Academy. When the Mounties had issued it, Jack had envisioned when he might have to use it. The most likely scenario would have been needing to drink it himself while alone in the wilderness, or perhaps using it on a rancher. He never imagined having to give it the woman he loved on a parlor couch.

Jack gently tilted Elizabeth's head back as he poured the liquid down her throat.

"Jack, everything's blurry", she said weakly.

"Let's put your feet up a little on this pillow." Jack said, as he gently lifted her feet.

"I don't need my feet on a pillow, Jack", Elizabeth slurred her words.

"Actually, you do. You've been poisoned and you're going into shock", he said worriedly.

Jack covered her with a blanket, noticing how pale her face had become despite her sweating. He knew most people couldn't survive one bite, let alone two.

"You're going to be just fine, Elizabeth", he told her, trying to keep his voice calm and confident.

Elizabeth thought she heard Jack's voice, but she couldn't be sure, and it was so hard to focus; she just wanted to fall asleep.

Jack sat bent over, his head in his hands. _This isn't supposed to happen. We're supposed to grow old together. Please, please don't let her die._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _What was that noise? It must have been a car backfiring. Maybe Julie and I will take the car into town later today. But wait, am I in Hamilton? It sounded like a gunshot. Why would there be a gunshot in our house? And why does the doctor keep stinging me? And where's Jack?,_ Elizabeth thought _._

Jack climbed up the cellar steps, his gun still warm.

 _Damn Snake,_ he thought angrily.

"The snake is dead, Abigail. I didn't see any others, but I'll look again later", he said as he entered the parlor. He looked to Elizabeth, who was lying on the couch, her eyes closed.

The doctor put away his needle and began bandaging Elizabeth's hand. "I've stitched her up and the echinacea oil you gave her should hold her over until the anti-venom gets here. Keep her immobile. She'll continue to be confused, but she shouldn't get any worse for now. I'll stop by as soon as the anti-venom arrives."

The doctor placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Try not to worry. You did well. You did everything right", he said compassionately.

Jack didn't see the glance of concern which the doctor gave Abigail.

As Abigail showed the doctor to the door, Jack sat down on the edge of the couch, careful not to disturb Elizabeth, whose eyes remained closed.

He looked at her with pain in his heart. He glanced at the bandages on both her hands, the bandage on her arm, the blood-stained sleeves. What worried him most was her breathing, which was labored and fast.

He knew it wouldn't do any good to ask her how she felt; she hadn't spoken coherently since the doctor first arrived.

Jack reached over and gently pushed a curl from Elizabeth's face. "My beautiful walking disaster," he whispered affectionately as he gazed at her, a worried look etched on his face.

* * *

Elizabeth woke up with the afternoon sunlight streaming in her bedroom window. When she tried to rub her still sleepy eyes, she suddenly stopped and looked at her bandaged hands. _What in the world?!_ She sat up, wondering why she was in her nightgown in bed in the middle of the day.

"Elizabeth, you're awake. Good. I brought you some lunch." Abigail said as she entered.

"What happened to me?!"

"You got bit by a snake."

"On both hands?!"

"No, you cut the other hand on the glass from the broken lantern. You must have knocked it to the ground when you were bit. The doctor stitched you up. "

As Abigail explained more about what had happened, parts of it came back to Elizabeth, although other parts were fuzzy.

"Is Jack here?"

"No, he left town a little while ago. He stayed as long as he could, but he had to go. He'll be back in a few days."

"But he's not supposed to leave until tomorrow!" Elizabeth complained.

"No, he was supposed to leave on Sunday."

"That's tomorrow!" Elizabeth insisted.

"Today's Monday, Elizabeth. You've been sick for the last 48 hours," Abigail told a stunned Elizabeth.

As Elizabeth got dressed, Abigail explained that Jack had been with her almost the entire time she was sick. He had managed to postpone his testimony in the out-of-town trial by a day, but that was all the judge would allow.

"He didn't leave until the doctor assured him that you were going to be okay, and until he saw for himself that you were breathing better. You told him it was okay to go".

"I don't remember that," Elizabeth responded.

"Well, you've been in and out of it, a little delirious at times." Abigail explained.

"What else did I say?"

"You babbled a lot. I'm not sure I understood most of what you said. Jack seemed to, though. I caught him smiling a few times . . . especially when you said something about a strawberry patch, and tall grass, and . . .'things'." Abigail said in a puzzled voice.

 _Oh my_ , Elizabeth thought as she became slightly red in the cheeks.

Elizabeth was sorry that she hadn't gotten to spend any time with Jack before he left, at least not any time that she remembered. He had been so busy lately with work that they rarely saw each other. And now that the winter was here, it was dark by late afternoon, so they couldn't even enjoy long walks outside of town.

 _Courting in the wintertime is no fun,_ she lamented. For a moment, she thought about what they would be doing in Hamilton; there would restaurants to try, the theatre, society parties. She pushed those thoughts aside. Hope Valley was her life. _Of course, if Jack and I go to Hamilton for a visit, we could do some of those things_ , she thought happily.

* * *

Jack finished in court for the day, but was instructed to stay in town another two days in case he was needed to testify again. He left the courthouse and walked the short distance to his hotel. As he entered the hotel lobby, the desk clerk handed him a telegram.

"ELIZBETH AWAKE AND ALERT. MUCH BETTER. LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR RETURN."

His face broke into a smile and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was thrilled she was doing better, but he also felt guilty about leaving her. _I'll make it up to her when I get back to town,_ he thought _._

As Jack lay in his hotel room bed, his thoughts kept straying from the trial to Elizabeth and how her kisses tasted like spearmint and cinnamon. He loved that she wore her expensive French perfume so faintly that he could only smell if he was close to her, like when he kissed the nape of her neck; that was how he knew she wore it just for him. He grinned as he thought of how quickly she could turn from playful to seductive. He missed the feeling of her soft hands as they roamed across his chest and back, and how she always smiled after they kissed. _Go to sleep, Thornton!,_ he chided himself.

* * *

Tuesday morning, Elizabeth was up early to get to school. With limited use of both hands, things were going to be a bit more complicated. She would have loved to have another day off, but the town mothers had already let her know that they wanted their children back in school as soon as possible. Although the mothers explained that education was very important, Elizabeth suspected that the children had driven their mothers crazy having been stuck at home.

Elizabeth thought back to her conversation with Anne yesterday. Over a cup of coffee at the Café, Elizabeth had learned that Pete and Anne Fenderson were in town for several weeks. Anne had decided to accompany her father on the business trip to Hope Valley rather than stay by herself in the city, which turned out to be fortunate for Elizabeth.

With Elizabeth unable to write on the chalk board, Anne had offered to come to school to help for a few days. She was thrilled with the opportunity to assist Elizabeth, and Elizabeth knew that she could use the help. In exchange, Elizabeth offered to meet with Anne after school and help her study for her examinations. With Jack gone for a few days, it would be nice to have the company.

As it turned out, Elizabeth had more company than just Anne. Mr. Fenderson insisted on inviting Elizabeth to dinner. At first, Elizabeth had been hesitant; her bandaged hands made using a fork somewhat awkward, but he was such a charming man, and they had much in common.

Their similar social standings meant they had both been to the best schools, grew up going to society events, enjoyed attending the opera and theater, and actually had some acquaintances in common.

Pete Fenderson was only about ten years older than Elizabeth but had married young. Elizabeth learned that he had been a widow for six years. As Elizabeth enjoyed dinner, she thought that it was surprising that he had remained a widow for so long; he was quite handsome and was pleasant company. Over dinner, he entertained Elizabeth with stories of his travels as a railroad executive.

As Elizabeth lay in bed, she thought that it had turned out to be a very pleasurable day. Anne had helped out tremendously at school. The girl reminded her a lot of herself when she had been younger. Elizabeth realized she had stayed out quite late, but the dinner conversation had been so enjoyable it had distracted her from the lingering pain in her hands. She barely thought of Jack as she fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – The Boots & the Scarf

As he rode into town, Jack recognized Elizabeth by her coat and the back of her hair. She was walking with a man in the other direction. The man was too tall to be Lee, and too well dressed to be any of the townsmen. For a moment, Jack was worried that it might be Charles back in town.

Just then Elizabeth slipped on a spot of ice. As she started to fall, the man reached out to steady her. Jack's momentary relief at seeing the man's profile, and realizing it wasn't Charles, didn't last when he saw Mr. Fenderson's hand go around Elizabeth's waist.

Jack felt a sudden stab of jealousy. Without meaning to, he held his breath waiting to see how long it would be before the man removed his hand. After what seemed like entirely too long a period of time, Mr. Fenderson removed his hand from Elizabeth's waist and offered her his arm, which she accepted.

Jack knew the ground could be icy, and he certainly didn't want Elizabeth to fall, but that didn't mean he had to like this situation.

After he had settled his horse and cleaned up, Jack went to the Café. Not seeing Elizabeth, he walked through into her parlor. She was reading so intently on the couch that she didn't notice him enter.

Jack leaned against the wall watching her.

"Ahem. By any chance, are you missing a Mountie?", he asked playfully.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw her joy as she looked up and realized he was back.

"Jack, you're home! I wasn't expecting you for another day!"

Once he held Elizabeth in his arms, he gave her a long lingering kiss.

"Mmmmm, I like your hello kisses", she said.

"I like your welcome home kisses. Did you miss me?"

"You know I did, Jack. Come on into the kitchen, let's get you something to eat and you can tell me all about your trip."

"First, you tell me how you're feeling. I was worried sick about you." He got a lump in his throat just thinking about how ill she had been.

"I feel so clumsy with my bandages", she said dolefully, as she held up her bandaged hands. "But I'm almost back to normal".

Jack took an assessing look at her.

"No more sweating? Confusion? Dizziness? Trouble breathing? Prickly feeling?"

Elizabeth smiled. "No, Jack. I am fine. Thanks to you and some anti-venom serum . . . . . Although, you did just describe how your kisses make me feel sometimes," she added playfully.

"Well, I think that I need to assess that for myself", he said with a grin as he moved closer to her.

He placed a hand on her cheek and gently held her face for a moment, gazing into her eyes. His eyes moved to her lips and he softly traced a finger along them.

"I missed you", he whispered before their lips touched.

"I missed you too", she whispered as she placed her arms around his neck, keeping him close as she returned his kiss.

"Thank you for saving my life. I owe you a few more kisses for that", Elizabeth told him sweetly between kisses.

Jack laughed. "My pleasure, and I'll be happy to collect those kisses."

* * *

Over dinner, Elizabeth told Jack about Anne and school.

"She's been a big help at the school, and it's made her even more eager to do well on the entrance examinations and go to Teacher College".

"I met her father, Pete Fenderson, before I left town. He's seems like a decent enough fellow. Have you seen much of him?" Jack asked, trying to keep any hint of jealousy out of his voice.

"Actually I have. I had dinner with him and Anne. He's very nice and he knows some people that I know from Hamilton. Isn't that incredible? What a small world."

 _Not small enough,_ Jack thought to himself. He liked as much distance between Hamilton and Hope Valley as possible _._

Between Elizabeth's brief illness, the cold weather, and having been out of town for the trial, Jack was behind on his normal rounds, which meant he had a lot of catching up to do.

As Jack explained to Elizabeth, the shorter daylight hours meant he wouldn't be able to travel nearly as far as he had in the summer and fall. He would have to ride as much as possible one day, camp overnight, and return the next day, rather than do a roundtrip all in one day.

Elizabeth didn't like the idea of Jack sleeping out in cold, but, with a smile, he assured her that Mounties could handle the cold.

Jack tried to spend as much time with Elizabeth before he left again, but she was busy during the day with students, so that left only the evenings.

Jack realized that he had no reason to be jealous of Mr. Fenderson, but still, he didn't like the idea of Elizabeth walking on another man's arm. _Well, there's an easy way to solve that problem_ , he thought as he entered the mercantile.

Before he left on his next trip, Jack showed Elizabeth a Sears, Roebuck, and Co. catalog he borrowed from the mercantile, and insisted that she pick out a good pair of boots. Despite her protests that her boots were fine, she relented and finally chose a pair of sturdy practical boots.

"But Jack, they're so . . . . ugly", she said.

Jack raised his eyebrows as he looked at her. "I don't care if they are ugly. Your current pair of boots may be pretty but they are totally useless for actually walking in the snow and ice. I don't want you slipping and falling."

"Fine. Jack. I'll wear them. But what made you think I needed new boots?"

Jack didn't say anything and pretended to be busy filling out the order form. The last thing he wanted to do was act like a jealous suitor.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Jack was gone for two days at a time. When he returned, much to his chagrin, he often found Elizabeth in the company of Mr. Fenderson.

Elizabeth told Jack that Pete Fenderson had so many interesting stories about places he had been; she was thinking of having him talk to the students.

"He's traveled to so many places, he can talk to the students about the vast differences in Canada . . . and he can talk about business ventures . . . and we can use math to calculate distances . . . and he gave me some extra maps he had. . . "

Jack was starting to feel unsettled as many of their conversations seemed to revolve around Pete Fenderson. Jack realized that his own daily rounds may not make for exciting stories, so he found himself, more and more, trying to embellish the details when he described them to Elizabeth.

Each evening when he left her, he told himself that he was being foolish; he didn't need to compete with Fenderson. And yet, when he would see Mr. Fenderson with his expensive clothes and air of sophistication, he'd get the self-doubting feeling again.

* * *

 _Doesn't that man have any work to do!,_ he thought when he saw Mr. Fenderson sitting at the Café with Elizabeth.

"Jack", Elizabeth's eyes lit up when she saw him enter.

"Hello, Constable, good to have you back in town. Well, I'll be off. Good talking to you again, Elizabeth." Mr. Fenderson shook Jack's hand before putting on his coat, and offering Jack his chair.

"Having tea with another man? Should I be jealous?" Jack said good- naturedly as he sat down.

"Don't be silly. Why would I want a railroad executive when I can have a handsome Mountie?" she replied with a smile.

Whenever she smiled at him, Jack felt better. _She loves me. There's nothing to worry about_ , he thought as they enjoyed a meal.

* * *

Later, while he was picking up supplies at the mercantile, Jack noticed a pretty blue scarf for sale at the counter.

"I just got two of those in yesterday. Miss Thatcher was admiring them this morning. They are very nice, aren't they?" Mr. Yost remarked as he saw Jack fingering the soft scarf.

Jack looked at the price tag. With a hint of embarrassment, he realized that there was no way he could buy Elizabeth everything she was used to owning.

The next evening, Jack headed to the mercantile, intent on buying the scarf for Elizabeth after all. He pushed aside thoughts of insecurities. He knew he didn't need to buy her presents but he hadn't been spending a lot of time with her. If he couldn't shower her with attention like Pete Fenderson seemed to be doing, at least he could shower her with a gift or two. He told himself that this was his way of reminding her how special she was to him.

"Mr. Yost, I'm looking for the blue scarf you had for sale yesterday."

"I sold it this morning to Mr. Fenderson."

"Mr. Fenderson?"

""I thought it might be for his daughter, but he said it was for a lady friend. My clerk must have sold the other one when I was out of the store. Sorry about that, Constable. Do you want me to order one for you?"

"No, that's okay." Jack responded. _Who was the lady friend?_ , he wondered, suddenly a little more insecure about his relationship with Elizabeth. _It'd better not be for Elizabeth._

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was admiring the feel and look of her new blue scarf as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Elizabeth knew that as much as she loved Hope Valley, she also loved certain aspects of her Hamilton life, including owning some expensive beautiful things. _If Jack insists on me wearing ugly boots, he can't complain if I want to wear something this pretty around my neck!_

She already had several scarfs, but this one was so nice, she just couldn't say no to it.


	5. Chapter 5- Twin Troubles

Chapter 5 - Twin Troubles

Elizabeth sat at a table in the Café working on her lesson plan, enjoying the afternoon sun through the window.

"How's the lesson for tomorrow going?", Abigail asked as she sat down with Elizabeth and placed another cup of cinnamon tea in front of her.

"Okay. Tomorrow's lesson is on Doctor Albert Calmette. I thought it would be most appropriate after what happened last month."

"I give up. Who is this doctor?" By now, Abigail was used to Elizabeth's enthusiasm for teaching, and the way she often strayed from regular course material.

"Not only was he a protégé of Louis Pasteur, but . . . he was the founder of anti-venomous serotherapy!" Elizabeth said with excitement.

Abigail smiled, "Why am I not surprised? You use every calamity as a teaching moment."

Elizabeth laughed, "Who knew that living out here would lead to so many teaching moments?"

"Thank goodness for Mounties and scientists", Abigail said as she joined in the laughter.

"Speaking of Mounties, when does Jack leave again?" she asked.

Elizabeth stopped laughing and sighed.

"He left this morning. He may be gone for five days this time. We never get to see each other anymore", she said unhappily.

"I'm trying not to let him see how disappointed I am that we can't spend time together. I don't want him to feel guilty for leaving. I've been keeping a brave upbeat face when he leaves, at least some of the time", Elizabeth added.

"I'm sure Jack appreciates that you are independent and can handle being without him when he needs to be away."

" I just wish that he wasn't gone so much. It gets dark so early in the winter. I would be so bored in the evenings if it weren't for you, and Anne and Pete Fenderson", she added.

"The Fendersons certainly are keeping you occupied while Jack's away", Abigail noted.

"Has Pete mentioned any more about proposing marriage?", Abigail asked.

"Yes, I think he's going to ask her soon! I'm so excited for him, and for Anne to be getting a new mother. But I am definitely not mentioning anything about it to Jack."

"Why not?"

"I'm afraid that if I tell Jack about other men proposing to their sweethearts, he might think that I'm pressuring him. I don't want him to feel rushed. When Jack's ready, he'll ask me. Until then, I won't comment on anyone else's relationships", Elizabeth said.

Abigail was pensive for a moment before she spoke up.

"Elizabeth, Jack loves you, but I wouldn't be surprised if he has worries about your relationship."

"What are you talking about?"

"Think about it, Elizabeth. His father died when he was young. I'm sure a part of him felt abandoned by his father, even though logically, it wasn't his father's fault. And from what you told me, his brother Tom was sent away to live with an uncle. Jack probably felt abandoned or let down by Tom. And then, well . . . then, Rosemary left him. Jack's use to people he loves leaving him."

"Well, Jack doesn't have to worry about me leaving him. I adore everything about that man." Elizabeth said adamantly.

Jack had been gone less than a day this time, when Pete Fenderson's brother, Tim, arrived in town. Tim and Pete both worked in the railroad business and were identical in looks, but that was where the similarity ended.

Tim was a flirt. But he was such a pleasant flirt that no one seemed to mind. He flirted with old ladies, young women, and little babies. Even the husbands of married women weren't upset by Tim's flirting because he always made them look good. " _Why, Mrs. Smith, you are as beautiful as your husband said."_ " _Mrs. Thomas, your husband was raving about your cooking, and he wasn't wrong_." Everything he said came with a smile and sparkle in his eye.

 _He reminds me of a male Rosemary_ , Elizabeth thought humorously, wondering if Jack would see the resemblance when he came back to town and met him.

The town women soon learned that, beneath all his flirting, Tim was hopelessly infatuated with a lady in Winnipeg. He went to the mercantile several times a day hoping to get a telegram about a possible railroad contract in Manitoba so he could be closer to her.

Tim was just coming down the steps of the mercantile with a telegram in hand when he saw Elizabeth. She was walking across a patch of snow and looking down at her feet, not paying attention to where she was going.

Elizabeth had to admit that Jack had been right about getting new boots. These kept her feet wonderfully warm and she hadn't slipped once.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, "she said as she almost bumped into Tim.

"Pardon me, Miss Thatcher. It's entirely my fault. Let me carry your basket and escort you home. I am having a wonderful day, and your beauty only adds to it."

Elizabeth grinned. She had been about to ask if he were Pete or Tim, but his flirtation gave him way.

Jack was cold, hungry, and tired as he came to Hope Valley. After four days away, he was looking forward to having a nice warm dinner and spending time Elizabeth. She wasn't expecting him for another night or two, and he was anxious to see her surprised look when he showed up.

His thoughts went back to the last evening that they had been together. They had gotten a little carried away again, he thought with a smile. While he had been busy enjoying the taste of her lips, she had somehow managed to unbutton his shirt. She had been running her fingers smoothly along his undershirt when they had heard Abigail coming down the stairs. _I sure do miss the strawberry patch and privacy_ , he thought with a sigh.

Although perhaps Abigail interrupting them was a good thing, Jack realized. It was getting harder and harder to be with Elizabeth and not want to be more intimate.

Before visiting Elizabeth, Jack headed to the jail to drop off his things and freshen up. As he gazed out the window, he saw her walking down the street with Mr. Fenderson, who was carrying Elizabeth's basket for her. Jack scowled. _She can carry her own basket!_

Jack knew that Elizabeth had been helping Anne study most evenings, but he noticed that Anne didn't appear to be anywhere around.

Jack thought about how Pete Fenderson had always been cordial to him, and yet, when Jack was out of town, it seemed that Fenderson was trying to win Elizabeth's affections _. That man is a snake!,_ he thought _._

When they reached Elizabeth's place, Tim handed her the basket, bowed grandly, and tipped his hat. Something he said caused Elizabeth to start laughing. Tim took Elizabeth's hand in his, and twirled her around like a ballerina, causing her to laugh some more before she went inside.

Jack scowled again. _I'd like to put that man on his railroad and sent him straight out of town._

Ten minutes later, as Jack knocked on Elizabeth's door, he suddenly wasn't sure how she would react when she saw him. It was strange to him; sometimes when he left, she seemed so disappointed. But other times, she just kissed him goodbye and said that she'd see him in a few days.

He didn't know what to make of her actions. _Did she miss him? Did she even care if he were gone for days at a time?_ _Did she want him to go so she could be entertained by someone else?_

That night over dinner, Jack managed to keep the jealousy out of his voice. "Did you help Anne Fenderson with her studying today?"

"No, Mr. Fenderson took her with him when he went to survey the railroad line."

"You didn't see either of them today?" Jack was shocked by her denial.

"No, not today. "

"Really, not at all?"

"Really, Jack, I didn't see them today", Elizabeth said emphatically, shaking her head, as she poured some coffee. Elizabeth was so happy to see Jack that she forgot to even mention that Pete had an identical twin brother who had come to town.

Despite his exhaustion, Jack had a hard time falling asleep _. It just didn't make sense,_ he thought.When he had told Elizabeth at dinner that he would be in town for the next two weeks, she was so thrilled that she had jumped out of her chair and into his arms, spilling her drink. _That certainly didn't seem like a woman who is cheating on me,_ he thought. _So why had she lied about being with Pete Fenderson?_

Elizabeth was a very desirable woman; it was no surprise that men would be attracted to her. What surprised Jack was that she would lie about being with Fenderson.


	6. Chapter 6 - Mounties: Poor and Dead

**Readers, I posted two chapters (Chapter 5 and Chapter 6) today. Please don't accidentally skip Chapter 5**

Chapter 6 – Mounties: Poor and Dead

Jack was working at his desk, when the door opened, and Sarah Rose entered, carrying a small bag. Rip immediately perked up and walked over to the young girl.

"Good morning, Sarah Rose. What can I help you with?"

"I got some scraps for Rip. Can I feed him, Mountie Jack?"

"Of course, you can. He always enjoys a special treat". Jack smiled at how all the town children spoiled Rip.

As Sarah Rose sat on the floor feeding Rip, she watched Jack reading his paperwork.

"Mountie Jack, are Mounties poor?"

"Why would you ask that, Sarah Rose?"

"I heard Miss Thatcher talking to the railroad man the other day. He said Mounties don't make a lot of money like him. He said he had enough money to pay for things that women who were married to Mounties wouldn't be able to afford. "

"What did Miss Thatcher say?"

Sarah Rose shrugged. "I don't know. Something about money's 'ppreciated. Whatever that means. My ma called me over and I didn't hear anything else", she said nonchalantly as she pet Rip.

"Mounties don't care so much about money, Sarah Rose. We do it because it's an honorable job and we like helping people."

Sarah Rose seemed satisfied with his answer. Jack wondered how many people would understand why Mounties did what they did.

Jack realized that Mr. Fenderson was starting to annoy him more and more. _I wish he would hurry up with his railroad work and get out of town! And why does Elizabeth enjoy his company so much?,_ he thought disgruntledly.

Jack felt old feelings come back to the surface, feelings he had had when Elizabeth was in Hamilton and Charles had been wooing her. Jack wondered what else Elizabeth had said in response to Pete's statements about his wealth. " _Put that out of your mind,_ " he told himself. _She was thrilled to see me last night_.

While she had been thrilled last night, Jack knew she wouldn't be thrilled when he told her about the telegram which he had just received that morning. As he put on his jacket, he wasn't looking forward to her reaction.

* * *

Elizabeth wasn't thinking about money or telegrams at the moment. She was thinking of Jack being in town for the next two weeks. She didn't want to waste a minute of it. She had told him last night that she wanted to take a sleigh ride through the countryside today. It seemed so romantic, she was getting giddy just thinking about it as she piled on layers of clothing.

As she was packing a picnic lunch and a vacuum flask with coffee, Jack came into the kitchen.

"Jack, I'm so excited! There are some warm blankets by the stairs; would you mind getting them? I'm just finishing getting our meal together. Did you get the sleigh already?"

Before he could answer, she continued excitedly, "I know it's going to be chilly, but I thought maybe we could go to the mine entrance and build a fire and have a picnic. The fire and blankets should keep us warm. Doesn't that sound like a great idea?!"

She didn't wait for a response. "Jack, the blankets, by the stairs, can you get them? Oh, I'm bringing a book to read. Did you bring your sketchpad?"

"Elizabeth, we can't go. I have to leave town", Jack said apologetically.

"What?!" Elizabeth stood there, her mouth open, her eyes wide.

"I'm sorry. I got a telegram this morning.

"But, Jack!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I'm all ready. I've made lunch. I'm wearing three pairs of socks! I have on my new ugly boots!"

Jack smiled when she talked about her new ugly boots, but his smile quickly turned when he saw how upset she was.

"When do you have to go?", she asked dejectedly.

"Now"

"Now?! What do you mean 'now'?!"

"I have to leave now, Elizabeth. I have a long trip."

"When will you be back?"

"I hope to be back in two weeks" Jack said, dreading her reaction.

"But we were supposed to spend time together! You were going to stay in town for the next two weeks!"

She knew she sounded like a spoiled child, but she didn't care. He had promised her this time.

"I promise when I get back we'll spend lots of time together." Jack assured her, as he put his arms around her waist and pulled her to him.

After a brief hug, Elizabeth pulled away. She unpacked the sandwiches and vacuum flask and handed them to Jack. "Here, you might as well take these for your trip," she said glumly.

As Jack rode away, he had an unpleasant feeling about leaving Elizabeth. Her kiss goodbye had almost seemed obligatory or automatic, rather than filled with the passion they often shared. He knew she was upset, but she also knew he was Mountie.

 _364 days. 364 days. 364 days_. Elizabeth kept thinking as she sat at the kitchen table after Jack left. _I told him I would wait 364 days just to spend one day with him,_ she reminded herself. _But this is ridiculous. My goodness, can't we even have a nice romantic day together?!_

Elizabeth spent the next week teaching and visiting with the Petersons. She didn't bother to practice her cooking or learn any new recipes. _What difference does it make, Jack isn't around enough to try anything_ , she thought sullenly.

* * *

The other Mounties teased Jack relentlessly and called him "lover boy" when they caught him looking at a photo of Elizabeth each evening. He tried to ignore their comments that his relationship with her wouldn't last.

"If she's as beautiful as you say, she must have her choice of suitors just waiting to take your place when you're out of town", they enjoyed reminding him.

"What rich woman would want to give it all up to be the wife of a Mountie? You're not that special, Jack," they chuckled.

 _Only a few more evenings of these guys_ , Jack thought as he rode along. They were decent fellows, but they couldn't understand his desire to be with just one woman, or why a woman like Elizabeth would choose him.

It was a beautiful winter day, with the sun causing the snow to glisten. The men had only another 20 or 30 minutes of riding until they reached the next town, and then after two days, Jack would head back to Hope Valley, earlier than expected. Elizabeth would be pleased by that.

Jack was the last of the Mounties riding in single file, each thirty feet apart. The sun was warm on his face and air was still. As the four Mounties rode along the side of the mountain, a rabbit ran by at breakneck speed, trying to outrun a hungry bobcat. One of the horses gave a loud whinny, and then another; the sound echoing in the quiet stillness. The little rabbit had no way of knowing the chain reaction it had set off, not that it would have cared.

The men heard the rumbling. It seemed out of place on what had been a beautiful silent day. In an instant, the Mounties knew they had been doomed by the horse's whinny. "AVALANCHE!" they screamed, just as the snow began crashing down.

Jack yanked on his horse's reins and turned directions, trying to gallop away from the cascading snow. He thought he might just make it to outside of the avalanche's runout zone, that horrible area where the snow and debris finally comes to stop in a high pile.

His horse was fast, but not faster than the snow it was racing. The wave of snow hit the horse's hind legs first, causing them to buckle, and twisting the horse around and around. Jack was thrown over the horse's head and landed 10 feet away from it, a river of snow falling on top of him.

He felt the pain in his ribs, his lungs gasping for breath as he struggled to get up. At first, he wasn't sure if he was face-up or face-down in the cold snow. He tried to control his breathing, but he couldn't. He started clawing and pushing away the lighter colored snow, realizing there was faint sunlight on the other side of it.

When he emerged from the snow, he realized that if he had been thrown a foot or two less, he would have been covered by several more feet of the heavy snow and ice. He knew his horse dead.

Jack stood there stunned. Just moments before, there had been four Mounties and four horses. Now, there was just him. Everything had turned quiet again.

As he surveyed the scene, he looked for any sign of his fellow Mounties, but all he could see were snow and ice. He screamed for the others but heard nothing in response.

Jack began trampling through the deep snow, searching for any indication of where they might be buried. _If I can just get to them in time_ , he told himself.

Everywhere he looked, he saw white. No red serge or black coats, no brown horses – just white.

His heart leaped as he heard yelling.

"JACK, STEVE, MICHAEL?!", Walter yelled as he came riding over a crest into view.

Jack remembered that Walter had been first in the line of Mounties. The first and last men had made it out of the path of the avalanche; Jack galloping to the left, Walter galloping to the right. Steve and Michael had been unlucky enough to be in the middle, too far to reach safety.

Jack and Walter searched and dug through the packed snow for an hour.

By the time they had dug out the faces of Steve and Michael, it was far too late. After marking the areas, and retrieving Jack's saddlebag, Jack got on the back of Walter's horse and they silently rode to the next town.

Jack lay on a cot, his ribs aching. He opened up his saddlebag and retrieved the photo of Elizabeth. It was unusual for a Mountie to be killed in the line of duty. Although it was dangerous work, they were well trained. There was nothing they had done wrong today. They had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Jack thought about sending a telegram to Elizabeth, but decided against it. He would be arriving earlier than she expected in Hope Valley, so it's not as if she would be worried about him.

Her past words came back to him. _"I don't know if I'm brave enough to spend my life with someone as brave as you."_

He remembered how she had been scared by some of his encounters in the past. The avalanche was the closest he had ever come to dying; it was closest he had ever felt to real fear. _Was Elizabeth brave enough to handle his life as a Mountie?_

He wanted to tell her about the avalanche and his broken ribs when he saw her. He would try to make it seem like it hadn't been too agonizing. Although how you make two Mountie deaths seem anything but tragic, he didn't know.

Walter arranged for more Mounties to arrive, both to handle the duties of the now deceased men, and also to retrieve their bodies for burial.

Jack fell asleep holding the photo of Elizabeth and wishing he was with her. He woke up from a nightmare a short time later. Not wanting to crumple her photo, he placed it back in his saddlebag. _I'll be with her soon_ , he told himself.


	7. Chapter 7- Pain

Chapter 7- Pain

Two days later, Elizabeth wished Jack were with her at the small party, but he wasn't due back in town for another day or two. Before leaving for the Fendersons, she had crossed off another day on her calendar. _Tomorrow night, I'll make him a nice dinner, and have it waiting for him in case he comes home_ early, she thought.

It was such a pleasant evening. Anne had sent a telegram from Ottawa that she had taken the college entrance examinations and felt very confident about them. Tim was looking forward to going to Winnipeg, and Pete and his lady friend, Laura, who had arrived in town, were ecstatic over their engagement. As the four sat around the table, everyone was talkative and in a good mood, enjoying the warmth of the stove and a delicious meal, which Pete had ordered from Abigail.

* * *

Outside, it was bitterly cold. The frigid air stung Jack's face. He wanted to hurry to get inside away from the cold, but he moved carefully. His ribs hurt despite his slow walking gait as he left the livery. As he had ridden back to town, his heart had been heavy with the deaths of the other Mounties. All he wanted was to embrace Elizabeth, eat a warm meal, and sleep in his own bed.

The Café wasn't crowded. He didn't see Elizabeth anywhere, and she hadn't answered the knock on her front door. As he started to head towards the kitchen, Mrs. Smithson, the town gossip, passed him.

"If you're looking for Miss Thatcher, she's at the Fenderson place. She's been spending quite a few evenings there." Something in her voice made it seem unscrupulous.

"I'm sure Anne appreciates Elizabeth's help tutoring", Jack said.

"That may be so, but Anne left on the stagecoach three days ago", Mrs. Smithson informed him with a shrewd look as she walked out.

Jack was stunned. _Why would Elizabeth be at the Fenderson's if Anne was out of town?_ _Maybe she's dropping off school books_ , he tried to convince himself.

But the longer he thought about Elizabeth and Pete Fenderson, the more upset he became. He remembered how Elizabeth had allowed Charles to fawn all over her. _I'm not going through that again!_

Jack turned and left the Café. He already knew there wasn't much that could be done for broken ribs, but the doctor re-bandaged him anyway, chided him for making them worse by riding, and gave him some stronger pain medication. Jack knew he had been stupid to ride back to town before his ribs had healed, but he had been eager to see Elizabeth.

He hoped that by the time he was finished at the doctor's, Elizabeth would be back home. As he grabbed his hat, and walked out the door, he didn't hear the doctor's last words.

Realizing that Jack hadn't heard him, the doctor thought about going after Jack and telling him to stay away from any alcohol while on the medication, but it was cold outside, and he knew that Jack rarely ever drank alcohol, so the doctor didn't bother.

After 30 minutes, Jack's ribs felt somewhat better, but Elizabeth still had not returned home. _There's no reason I can't just go to Pete Fenderson's to let Elizabeth know I'm back in town_ , he thought as he walked down the street. _She's probably worried thinking about me spending my days and nights in this cold_.

As he climbed the porch steps, Jack heard voices and laughter. Glancing in the window, he saw Mr. Fenderson with one of his hands on Elizabeth's waist, his other hand was comfortably holding one of hers. She rested one of her hands on his shoulder. Elizabeth was smiling broadly and giggling as the two danced around the room. Her cheeks were flush from excitement and the warmth of the room.

Jack didn't need to see any more. Uttering a curse word, he turned and strode angrily to the saloon.

From his position on the porch, he hadn't seen the other people in the room. If he had stayed a moment longer, he would have heard more laughter as Tim let go of Elizabeth and began hopping around the room. He would have heard the shouts of "Dancing?", "Waltz?", "Rabbit?", "Kangaroo?", . . . "Waltzing Matilda!" as the others in the room finally correctly guessed the answer. He would have heard Elizabeth say to everyone in the room, "Charades can be so much fun! I wish Jack were here to enjoy this _",_ as she took her seat.

* * *

Forty minutes, and four shots of whiskey later, Jack was fuming, and drunk. Two Mounties were dead from an avalanche, he was bruised and tired, and meanwhile, Elizabeth was dancing and laughing in the warmth of another man's arms, . . . a rich, good looking, available man.

The medicine and alcohol clouded Jack's thoughts, but he didn't realize it as he sat on the bar stool emptying the last shot glass.

Jack thought about Elizabeth spending so much time with Pete Fenderson. His mind jumped around to other thoughts: how she had enjoyed Billy Hamilton's flattery last year, Charles and his engagement proposal, Elizabeth's father's disdain for him, the way her mother had been politely cool to him, the words of the other Mounties, ". . . _She must have her choice of suitors just waiting to take your place . . . . You're not that special, Jack."_

Jack remembered that Elizabeth hadn't seemed upset half the times he left town recently.

 _If she doesn't love me or I'm not rich enough for her, she needs to have the guts to tell me,_ Jack thought angrily.

 _She "appreciated" money, and I don't have it_. _Heck, wasn't building her a school, enough?!_

As he left the saloon and turned the corner, Jack saw Elizabeth and Mr. Fenderson walking down the street. When Elizabeth came to a pile of snow, Mr. Fenderson offered his arm and helped her over it.

I'd appreciate it if you'd take your hands off Elizabeth", Jack said to Mr. Fenderson before turning to a startled Elizabeth.

Before she could say anything, Jack angrily spoke to her.

"Why are you wearing that scarf?" he demanded when he recognized her thick blue scarf from the mercantile.

"To keep my neck warm", she answered with a bewildered expression.

Jack scowled at her simple answer. So he was right, _Elizabeth was allowing another man to flatter her and buy her gifts. Gifts he couldn't afford to get her._

"Jack, when did you get back in town?" Elizabeth said in a surprised voice.

"I guess a little earlier than you expected", he answered. His voice was filled with contempt.

"Constable, perhaps you've had a little too much to drink. I am just escorting Miss Thatcher home." Mr. Fenderson addressed Jack.

"You don't need to escort her home. I can do that", he said menacingly.

"I'm not so sure you can. Perhaps the three of us should walk back together", Mr. Fenderson replied, looking worried as he took Elizabeth's arm.

Elizabeth stood there flabbergasted. She had never seen Jack like this.

"I told you to get your hands off her!," Jack said as he pushed Mr. Fenderson backward, causing him to fall.

"Jack! What is wrong with you?!" Elizabeth demanded, as she reached out her hand to help Mr. Fenderson get up.

Jack stared at her, his anger growing. "That's right, you just help him up. I'm out of here," he said in disgust as turned and walked to the jail.

"Jack, wait", Elizabeth yelled running after him. As she followed him into the jail, he looked at her with an icy stare.

Don't you want to go check on Mr. Fenderson?", he said tersely.

"He's fine, Jack. It's you I'm concerned about."

Elizabeth moved to touch Jack, but he pulled away.

"Don't touch me. Do you think I want you touching me after you've had your hands on another man?"

Even as he said the words, Jack knew they weren't totally true. He wanted her to touch him, to tell him that she loved him, but he couldn't believe her anymore.

"Jack! What has gotten into you?"

"Maybe I've finally come to my senses. Maybe I finally realized we're not a suitable match", he said scathingly.

"What are you talking about?! When did you even get back into town?"

"Like it matters?! YOU WEREN'T EXACTLY WAITING FOR ME!" Jack yelled.

"Of course I was waiting for you, Jack." Elizabeth exclaimed in shock.

"Stop lying to me Elizabeth. I know you're seeing him. If you want to stop courting me, you should just tell me, instead of going behind my back."

Elizabeth was stunned by his anger. His face was tense, his voice hard and unforgiving.

"Jack Thornton, I am not seeing anyone behind your back, or in front of you, or any other way. Now, please start explaining your behavior."

"ME?! ME START EXPLAINING?! You're the one who has being lying to me, eating meals with him, dancing with him!", Jack's bitter drunken voice showed a hint of hurt even when he yelled.

"Oh, Jack. You've been drinking! I don't know why you're so angry. I would never lie to you or cheat on you." Elizabeth said trying to sooth his fury, but feeling irritated at Jack's behavior.

"YOU'VE BEEN GOING TO HIS HOME IN THE LATE EVENINGS WITHOUT ANNE THERE!" Jack yelled, his voice getting even louder.

"Jack!" Elizabeth said in shock, not liking his implication.

"Are you telling me that you didn't? Because I saw you there. Was waiting for me too much?" he asked angrily and with contempt.

"How dare you, Jack Thornton?!"

"What happened? I wasn't around to roll around in the snow, so you found someone else?!"

Elizabeth felt like she had been slapped.

"When you're ready to apologize and act like a gentleman, you know where to find me."

"Where? At Pete Fenderson's?" Jack spat back at her.

Elizabeth gasped.

"What? No man has ever stood up to? Every man just lets you make a fool of him?", Jack said with a hollow laugh.

"On second thought, don't bother looking for me, Jack!" Elizabeth's voice trembled with indignation.

"Don't worry, I'm done with you." Jack said dismissively. He waved his hand at her as if he were swatting away a troublesome fly.

"You've made it perfectly clear what kind of man you want and it's not me. I guess that Thatcher apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It's all about the money and flattery", he added as he looked at her with disgust.

Elizabeth slammed the door on her way out.

Jack was too drunk to care about going after her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - The Aftermath

The next morning, Jack woke still wearing his clothes from the night before. His ribs ached, and his head didn't feel much better.

As the whiskey and pain medication wore off and his sensibilities came back, Jack thought about what had happened.

He thought about his suspicions of Elizabeth dining, dancing, and accepting a gift. He knew what he had seen, but he also knew that he had never really asked Elizabeth to explain anything.

 _I never even gave her a chance to tell me her side of the story. What kind of man am I?! What kind of Mountie am I?_ , he chided himself. _I would have given suspected criminals more courtesy_!

He knew one thing for sure; he still loved her. _She loves me. There must be a good explanation for what had been going on,_ he told himself.

He added two more things to his inventory of what he thought he knew. _I probably acted like a jerk. I should stay away from alcohol and pain medication._

Elizabeth would be at school now, so Jack decided to use the time to ask around and find out some answers.

At the lumber office, Lee told Jack that Pete seemed like a good man. He was a doting father and was courting a woman who had just arrived in town for a visit. Lee told Jack that he had never seen Pete and Elizabeth act inappropriately.

"And his brother, Tim, is pretty funny, quite the character." Lee added.

"What brother Tim?", a puzzled Jack asked.

"The one that you pushed last night", Lee looked at Jack curiously. "You must have been in pretty bad shape if you don't remember that", he added.

"I remember pushing _Pete._ He was touching Elizabeth." Jack said matter-of-factly, with a hint of anger.

"No, you pushed Tim. Pete wasn't even outside. I was coming down the street and saw it happen."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lee", a confused Jack responded.

Over a cup of coffee, Lee explained that Pete's twin brother, Tim, had come to town. He was a harmless flirt and in love with a girl in Winnipeg. To the best of Lee's knowledge, neither brother had behaved improperly with Elizabeth.

"So, when Elizabeth denied being with Pete, she was being honest with me. It was probably Tim I saw walking her home," Jack said as he looked down.

"Looks that way. . . . and, Jack, Tim treats every woman, young and old, like she's the most beautiful woman in the world. The women laugh and enjoy it, but none takes it seriously."

"What about the expensive scarf he bought her?", Jack demanded.

"What it'd look like?"

"A scarf. It looked like a scarf. Soft and expensive. Blue. "

"Did it have a long fringe?"

A surprised Jack responded, "How did you know that?"

"Was it like the one that woman is wearing? The woman who just walked in with Pete."

Jack turned to see Pete and a woman walk in. Around her neck was the expensive blue scarf.

Lee called over Pete. "Pete, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting your friend. "

Pete looked at Jack warily, but introduced Laura to the gentlemen as his fiancé.

"That's a beautiful scarf you're wearing, Laura", Lee remarked as he shook Laura's hand.

"Thank you. Pete gave it to me yesterday when I arrived in town. He has very good taste", Laura answered with a smile, as she touched the scarf.

"I can't take the credit. I have to thank Elizabeth for her good taste." Pete replied.

"A while back I asked her for advice in getting Laura a gift and she mentioned that she had just bought a scarf from Mr. Yost for herself, and he had one left. So, I hurried over to the mercantile to buy it before anyone else had a chance to snatch it up", he added.

"Well, then I will have to thank Elizabeth when I see her again." Laura said cheerfully.

"You know Elizabeth?, Jack asked surprised.

"I met her last night. She's very nice. We all had dinner together."

"And dancing", Jack murmured.

"Dancing? We didn't have any dancing", Pete replied in a confused voice.

Laura laughed. "Unless you count "Waltzing Matilda" during our game of charades".

Jack was beginning to realize he had made a big mistake. A very big mistake.

"I'm actually glad I ran into you, Jack. I didn't know to whom I should make out the check", Pete remarked.

Jack was utterly confused. "Check? What check?"

"Didn't Elizabeth tell you? I wanted to reciprocate her kindness in helping Anne with studying, and Elizabeth refused any payment. When I insisted, she suggested that maybe a donation to the Northwest Mounties would be appreciated. Maybe to a fund for injured Mounties or their wives and families."

Sarah Rose's words came back to Jack. _He said he had enough money to pay for things that women who were married to Mounties wouldn't be able to afford._

Jack realized thatPete hadn't been trying to woo Elizabeth. And he wasn't being disrespectful to the Mounties; he had been generously agreeing to help their families, and Elizabeth was right, the money would be appreciated.

Jack noticed that Pete seemed to want to say more, but was hesitant.

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?" Jack inquired. He wondered if Tim had told Pete about their altercation.

"I won't pretend that I know Elizabeth as well as many people in this town do, but she has been extremely nice to my daughter and I appreciate that. From my conversations with her, I've gathered that she holds Mounties in very high regard, . . . particularly one certain Mountie. I hope that her faith hasn't been misplaced." Pete spoke deliberately as he looked at Jack.

Jack would normally have been insulted by such a comment, but at this point, he was just embarrassed by his drunken behavior. _Obviously Tim told him about my actions last night._

Jack excused himself and went to find Abigail; he needed to know how Elizabeth was doing.

"The man she loves called her a liar, a cheat, and a gold digger. How do you think she's doing?!", Abigail said angrily as she slammed the coffee pot on the kitchen counter.

Jack looked down in shame. Abigail was one of the few people he could talk to about his emotions.

"I was a jerk. I know that."

"What in the world got into you?!"

I just . . . I just got scared about losing her. . . . . I thought maybe she would leave me, and I guess . . . I pushed her away first before she could do that . . . before she could hurt me more."

"Jack, that girl loves you. I don't know what you thought you saw or heard, but you were wrong. You've been gone so much that you don't know what's going on around here. Everyone in town knows that Elizabeth didn't act inappropriately; no one decent would even think such a thing."

"I need to talk to her when school lets out. . . I need to tell her how sorry I am."

"I don't know if she'll talk to you. She's been crying, and if she's not crying, she's fuming. . . . Jack, this isn't something that you can fix with flowers and a box of candy. "

"I know", Jack lamented.

"You hurt that poor girl." Abigail said with a mixture of irritability and sympathy towards Jack.

Abigail would have berated Jack some more, but he looked like he was about to cry, so she didn't. She figured his hangover, broken ribs, and shame were punishment enough for now.

Later, as the school house door opened, and the children came out, Jack stood by the steps, waiting for Elizabeth.

When she saw him, she quickly called back some of the students.

"Mary Alice, Samuel, please wait. I'll walk with you. I want to discuss your papers."

As Jack stood there, Elizabeth walked past him without a glance.

Jack hung his head, and let her walk away. She wasn't ready to hear his apology and he didn't want to embarrass her by causing a scene.

Besides, his head and ribs still hurt. He realized he wasn't in the best shape to apologize. _I'll wait a few hours_ , he thought.

For some reason, Jack naively thought a few hours would make a difference.

"Elizabeth, there's someone here to see you." Abigail said later that evening.

Elizabeth looked up to see Jack walking in the room behind Abigail.

"I'll just leave you two alone", Abigail said as she hurried out of the parlor, looking sympathetically at Jack.

"Elizabeth", Jack said with warmth and desire in his voice.

 _Oh, when he says my name like that it always makes me melt_ , Elizabeth thought before she remembered how harsh he had been to her the night before.

Elizabeth's anger started to increase just thinking about their last conversation. He had ended their relationship, he had dismissed her like she was nothing _. Actually, worse than nothing. He treated me like I had no morals, . . . like I was a trollop, . . . like I didn't love him!_ she thought getting madder at each thought.

"What is it, Jack? I have things to do. Is this Mountie business?" she asked formally.

"You know it isn't", Jack responded as he started to walk towards her. One look at her steely expression, and he stopped, afraid to go any closer.

"Elizabeth. I've been an idiot."

"That much is obvious. Please show yourself out", she said as she started for the stairs.

Jack gently took her arm to stop her. "Please, Elizabeth."

"Please let me explain", Jack said.

"You don't owe me an explanation. If we were still courting, you would. But since we are no longer courting, we owe each other nothing", Elizabeth said curtly before she turned and walked upstairs.

Once upstairs, she hurried to her room before the tears came. She wasn't sure if they were tears of anger or sorrow, but she wasn't ready to share them with Jack.

She tried not to think about how handsome and vulnerable he had looked.


	9. Chapter 9- Trying to Make Amends

Chapter 9

Jack felt his heart race as he watched her walk upstairs. Elizabeth was angry and hurt, and he hated that, but they were still courting.

He vaguely remembered telling her last night that he was done with her, but he had been drunk! _Surely, she knows I wouldn't end our relationship!_ Then he realized with a sudden jolt of fear that she was the one ending their relationship.

"Elizabeth, please wait", he pleaded as he ran up the stairs, grimacing at the pain in his ribs. Without thinking, he followed her into her bedroom.

"Jack, you shouldn't be in here!" she exclaimed.

"You don't have to say anything but please listen", he begged.

Elizabeth sat on the edge of her bed, her arms crossed, her face unyielding.

Despite her irritation, she found her mind wandering a little as Jack paced the floor. _This definitely isn't how I imagined it would be the first time Jack and I were in a bedroom together_ . . _. I always imagined he'd be-_ - _I imagined I'd be -and we would be_ - _well, he certainly wouldn't be wearing a coat!_

 _Stop thinking about that!. You're mad at him_!, she scolded herself and shook some images out of her head.

Jack explained about the avalanche, how he had been feeling, what he had seen when he came back to town. He told her how he had drunk to numb the deaths of the Mounties and because he was angry at seeing Elizabeth in another man's arms. He explained how his jealously had been fueled by the strong medication and alcohol combination.

Unfortunately, Jack tried to minimize the danger of the avalanche, and in doing so, Elizabeth's mind became focused on Jack's jealousy.

As he talked, his words from the night before came back to her and fueled her anger. _Stop lying to me . . . I know you're seeing him. . . you've been going to his home in the late evenings without Anne there. . . I wasn't around to roll around in the snow, so you found someone else . . . every man just lets you make a fool of him . . . I'm done with_ you. All his horrible accusations incensed her.

"I thought you were making a fool of me by carrying on with someone else." Jack's statement brought her back to the present.

"So you insulted me and pushed a man because you were worried about you being seen as a fool?" she said with disdain and fury.

"It was more than that. " Jack looked down and paused.

"You didn't even seem to mind sometimes when I left town", he finally said with hurt in his voice.

"I WAS TRYING TO BE STRONG!", she screamed.

Jack cringed at her screaming.

"I wasn't sure you were even worried about me when I was gone", he added quietly.

"Why do you think I kept so busy?!"

Jack gave her a puzzled look.

"IT WAS SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MISSING YOU AND WORRYING ABOUT YOU GETTING HURT!", she screamed at him.

Jack cringed again.

Part of him knew that her screams were an indication that this conversation wasn't going very well at all, but the optimist in him heard otherwise.

' _She loves me'_ was what Jack's heart heard despite Elizabeth's actual words and screams. _Why else would she be worried about me, missing me, trying to be strong for me_? He started to smile a little, but one look at Elizabeth quickly made him frown.

"How could you think those things of me?!" Elizabeth asked, now wiping tears from her eyes. "Do you really think I would let another man touch me in that way?"

"No, no, I don't, Elizabeth. I should never have said those things."

"After the way we've kissed and the things we've said to each other, how could even imagine that I could do that with someone else?! Do you think so little of me?"

"Elizabeth, I was just being stupid and jealous."

"You pulled away from me. You were disgusted by me", she said in disbelief as she remembered his words and actions.

"I'm so sorry. I don't remember pulling away. . . . I should have let you explain." he responded. His voice was full of grief at the way he must have acted and how he had made her feel.

"And you still think I care more about money than you?" she asked with incredulity.

"No, Elizabeth, No! I was just hurt, and angry. I didn't mean what I said. I was wrong. I know you love me", he pleaded with her to believe him.

"You said you were done with me!"

"I was drunk, Elizabeth," he said with slight exasperation.

He moved towards her. Again, he was optimistic, hoping that she would accept his embrace. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

"Can we just forget the whole evening ever happened?" he asked hopefully.

"No, we cannot, Jack. You basically called me a gold-digging tramp. No, we cannot forget the whole evening ever happened." Her pride was too hurt to forget his previous insults.

"Jack, you need to leave now." Elizabeth said quietly as she walked to the door.

As she held the door open for him, tears rolled down her cheeks.

"For your information, since the very first day I ever saw you, I have never let another man kiss me romantically, not Billy Hamilton, not Charles, and certainly not one of the Fenderson brothers. And until last night when you said those hurtful things to me, I didn't think I would ever kiss any man but you for the rest of my life. Now, I don't know what to think of you or our relationship."

"Good night, Jack. Please go home."

Jack desperately wanted to hold her, to kiss her.

"I love you, Elizabeth", he said quietly as he looked into her eyes before he walked out. He had never seen her so hurt, so angry. What worried him even more was that he sensed her uncertainty; that she was uncertain about their future.

The next morning, Jack was up before dawn. Between the pain in his ribs and the pain in his heart, he barely slept that night. He stared at Elizabeth's photo and at his sketchbook drawings of her.

Jack looked up hopefully when the door to the jail opened. His hope quickly faded when he saw it was just Rosemary.

Jack hadn't mentioned anything to Rosemary, but there was enough small town gossip for her to figure out that something was wrong.

"Jack, if you just accused her of flirting with someone, apologize and give her a little gift", she advised, as if this were a simple fix.

"Personally, I always like a piece of jewelry", she added dreamily, as she thought of some lovely pieces she had received.

When Jack didn't say anything, she noticed his guilt-ridden face.

"Oh, Jack. You didn't accuse her of something more, did you?" Rosemary asked, raising her voice in surprise.

Once again, Jack didn't say anything.

"How could you?! Elizabeth loves you. She would never do anything like that!", a shocked Rosemary exclaimed.

"Jack, I am a wonderful advice columnist, but if you accused Elizabeth of something tawdry and immoral, even I can't help you!" Rosemary said dramatically as she left.

Jack put on his coat and walked to Elizabeth's. When Elizabeth came downstairs, he was standing in the parlor.

"Jack, what are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you, Elizabeth" Jack implored. "Please forgive me."

"I can't do this right now. I need to get to school", Elizabeth said, her heart pounding at seeing him. _How is it that this one man can make my heart race so much!?_ , she wondered.

"Can I walk you?"

Elizabeth just nodded.

They walked to school in silence. Elizabeth knew that if she said anything, she would start yelling or start crying; either way she would be in no shape to teach.

Jack didn't want to say anything to upset her. He was just grateful that she allowed him to walk with her.

After school, Jack was waiting for Elizabeth. She didn't call any students to walk with her, which he took as a good sign.

"Can I walk you home?"

"Yes", was all she said. It was enough for Jack.

They walked the remainder of the way home in silence.

Once again Elizabeth's heart raced from being so near Jack. Her emotions were all over the place. One moment she wanted to put her hand gently on his face, and tell him not to look so sad. The next moment, she wanted to use that same hand to slap his face.

When Jack dropped her off at her door, he looked down for a moment before gazing in her eyes. His voice was full of sadness.

"I don't ever want to fight with you again for the rest of our lives. It hurts too much."

Jack reached out his hand to touch her arm but before he made contact, she moved.

"Then maybe you should have trusted me.", Elizabeth said coldly.

She quickly went inside, and closed the door before Jack could say anything more.

 **Readers, there's just one chapter left, and it's the longest, and my favorite. What really set Jack off? Find out in Chapter 10, which should be posted in the next few days. Until then, you may want to re-read Chapter 1 to refresh your memory of how this vignette started.**


	10. Chapter 10 - Notes, Letters, and a List

_**Dear Readers, the previous chapter, Chapter 9, left off after Jack walked Elizabeth home from school. She's still angry at him for his harsh words when he was drunk. Chapter 10 is the last chapter in "The Cold Winter". I hope you enjoy how the story ends.**_

Chapter 10: Notes, Letters, and a List

Later that afternoon Elizabeth came out of the doctor's office and bundled up against the cold. _I have no idea why Jack hates this scarf_ , she thought puzzled as she wrapped it around her. _It's actually very warm and pretty._

She had wasted her time going to the doctor's office. Apparently, there was little that could be done for broken ribs but to let them heal. Elizabeth hadn't forgiven Jack, but there was no harm in learning basic medical treatment just in case she eventually forgave him, she told herself.

" _Oh, who am I kidding",_ she thought. She knew that she'd eventually forgive him as soon she got over her anger and hurt.

 _I'll write to Sabrina and ask her if she's handled broken ribs . . . just in case it ever happens to Jack again. She seems to know more than that silly doctor. He's the one that started all this by giving Jack that strong pain medication!,_ she thought indignantly.

By the time she crossed the street, Elizabeth's anger at the doctor had turned to weepiness as she repeated in her mind Jack's awful words to her.

His accusations about her behavior had been horrible, and she thought about whether perhaps Jack was right about her liking flattery.

She begrudgingly admitted to herself that she had enjoyed the past attention from Billy and Charles, but that was before she and Jack had become so serious; it was before they had told each other that they loved one another. She reminded herself that she hadn't led on either of the Fenderson men _. Since Jack and I were in the mine entrance that first time, I haven't wanted to be flattered by anyone other than Jack._

Elizabeth began to think more about what Jack had been through. She thought about how he must have felt coming home, cold and injured, to find her dancing and laughing with another man. _Innocent as it was, he probably wasn't in the right state of mind to realize that._ _He was injured and . . . probably tired and hungry . . .and upset about the other Mounties_ , she conceded.

When Jack had initially told her about the avalanche, she had been too angry to let it sink in. Now that she had time to think about it, she realized how close she came to losing him.

Tears began to well up in Elizabeth's eyes. She tried to convince herself that they were because of Jack's hurtful words, but she suspected it was the thought of losing him.

 _I don't want to think about that!,_ she told herself.

She looked down at the puddle of slush by her feet and noticed the boots she was again wearing today- her new ugly warm boots which Jack wanted her to buy so she wouldn't slip. _He worries about me even though he's the one with the dangerous job_ , she sobbed.

The more she tried not to think about losing Jack and his life as a Mountie, the more she thought about it. By the time she made it to her bedroom, she couldn't stop the flood of tears and the images in her mind of Jack being hurt . . . or killed.

* * *

Jack sat at his desk trying to concentrate on paperwork. It was no good. He couldn't stop thinking about how cold Elizabeth had been to him when he walked her home. _Yes, I should have trusted her, but how long is she going to hold a grudge_?, he thought irritably. _It has been almost two days!_

Maybe it was because he was a man, maybe it was because he was tired of feeling guilty, or maybe it was because he missed Elizabeth so much, but Jack felt that 48 hours was entirely enough time for Elizabeth to get over his drunken actions.

 _This has got to stop,_ he put on his coat and headed out the door determined to tell Elizabeth that she needed to stop dwelling on what had happened.

He hadn't gotten very far when he remembered how stubborn she could be. _That woman is infuriating,_ he thought as heturned around and went back to the jail to rethink his plan.

* * *

That evening, Jack decided he would go see Elizabeth but that he was not going to apologize or beg for forgiveness anymore. He would simply ask Elizabeth to express her feelings. If she didn't want to talk to him, that was her choice. She could come looking for him when she was ready. It was as simple as that.

 _No more begging. No more apologizing,_ he reminded himself as he approached her door.

Feeling confident with his plan, Jack knocked on the door. As he waited for someone to answer, he briefly thought _How is it that this one woman can make me feel so tied up in knots!?_

When Elizabeth opened the front door, Jack saw by her red eyes that she had been crying. He wasn't sure what was worse: her being angry at him or her being sad because of how he had behaved.

Before she could close the door on him, or tell him to go away, Jack stepped into the room and gently wrapped his arms around her.

"Please, Elizabeth . . . please ", he pleaded, holding her, and lightly kicking the door closed behind him.

As he held her, he felt her body shudder with quiet sobs. He continued to keep his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry," he said as Elizabeth rested her face against his shoulder. It didn't seem to him that it was enough to say, but he knew he had no excuse for his past behavior.

For a fleeting moment, he remembered that he had told himself he wasn't going to beg or apologize anymore, but one look at her beautiful tear-stained face was more than he could handle.

Holding her close, he buried his face in her hair, whispering that he loved her. Eventually, when he had almost given up, she returned his embrace, putting her arms around him. He winced when she touched his ribs, but for the first time in several days, he finally felt like he could breathe again.

He led her to the couch, and gently drew her onto his lap. She leaned her head against his chest, not saying a word, just listening to his heart beat and feeling his breathing, as tears rolled down her face.

As she wept in his arms, Jack thought of how deeply he must have hurt her. Finally, he spoke.

"Elizabeth, please stop crying", he said very gently.

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE", she wailed.

 _Where in the world did that come from?_ he thought stunned _._ _I thought she was crying because I was mean to her!_

"Sweetie, I'm not going to die! Why would you say that?"

Elizabeth sat up straighter, reached into Jack's pocket, and removed a handkerchief. After blowing her nose, and hiccupping, she answered.

"You could have died in that avalanche."

"But I didn't."

"But, you could have", she said woefully.

"But I didn't, he said emphatically.

"But, you could have", she repeated.

"I wouldn't let a little thing like an avalanche keep me from you", he said.

He said it with such certainty that Elizabeth couldn't help but believe him.

"No, you wouldn't, would you?" she said as she sniffled.

"No, I wouldn't," he assured her, giving her a smile.

Jack touched her face, softly pulling it close to his. He wanted so desperately to kiss her. He hesitated for a moment, waiting to see if she would pull away. Instead of pulling away, she moved closer and placed her mouth tenderly on his. This is what he had been waiting for. After two weeks of being apart, their lips were together, where they belonged.

When they separated just briefly from their kiss, Elizabeth sighed. "Oh, Jack, let's never fight. I'm no good without you."

"I'm no good without you", Jack whispered back as he nuzzled her neck and moved to touch her lips again.

They held each other and talked about the past few weeks, how they had missed each other, how she had coped by keeping busy, how he had let doubts creep in.

They talked until the stars were out in the night sky, the Café had closed, and Abigail had gone to bed.

Finally, after talking and holding each other, they were back to a good place.

When Jack mentioned that he had previously thought of Pete Fenderson as a snake, Elizabeth laughed.

"Jack, every man that pays attention to me is not an animal or reptile", Elizabeth said, thinking about how he had previously described Billy as a skunk, and Charles as a dog.

"You already shot the only snake that was after me", she added as she gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

Jack got somber as he recalled how she had looked laying on the couch confused and bleeding after the snake bites.

"I was so afraid of losing you, Elizabeth. You were . . . in bad shape . . . it scared me."

Elizabeth thought about Abigail's words, _Jack's used to people he loves leaving him."_

"You are not going to lose me, Jack. . . not to a snake or another man . . . not ever", she told him reassuringly as she placed a hand on his cheek and looked in his eyes.

"You certainly are using a lot of bullets because of me!," she said as she suddenly thought about the rabid dog he had shot earlier.

"I have to protect my beautiful walking disaster", Jack responded with a smile as he lightly tickled her sides.

"I do hope the Northwest Mounties won't charge you for the bullets", she giggled, squirming away from his playful hands.

"It's worth it," Jack responded as he grabbed her wiggling body.

In one quick move, he seized her by the waist, pulling her down so she lay on the couch. He moved his body so he loomed over her, staring at her face with desire in his eyes. Elizabeth's giggles stopped as she looked up at his face, feeling the excitement between them. She felt her heart beat faster, her breathing deepened, as she anticipated his kiss. She kept her eyes on his as they stared at each other for a moment before Jack lowered himself down. His kiss didn't disappoint her, and neither did the next, or the ones after that.

Later, as he kissed her goodnight for the hundredth time, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I've missed my Mountie", she sighed.

"I've missed my school teacher", he replied affectionately.

"I thought I was your walking disaster", she reminded him.

Jack laughed, "That too "

"You are also the woman I love", he told her as he looked at her, and gently ran a finger along her cheek.

"I love you. Don't ever forget that again", she whispered. "And don't ever doubt it".

* * *

As Elizabeth lay in her bed, she realized that events before her had formed Jack, making him strong and independent in some ways, insecure in others. She never wanted to fight with him again; he was right, it hurt too much.

Jack lay in his bed thinking that he had been so worried about losing her, that he had been the one who ended up pushing her away. It reminded him of how she had almost done the same thing to him earlier in their relationship. _Love sure makes you do stupid things._

* * *

"Good morning, Elizabeth. Jack left this for you." Abigail said as she handed Elizabeth a note when she came into the kitchen the next day.

"I guess all those goodbye kisses last night weren't enough", Abigail added with a grin.

 _Dear Elizabeth, Have a good day. I should be back by dark. I love you forever, Jack._

Elizabeth folded up the note and put it in her pocket. Throughout the day, she found herself touching her pocket, feeling Jack's presence, and smiling.

Late that afternoon, Elizabeth knew that Jack would appreciate a warm meal. Bundling up, she headed to the jail to leave him a note.

The empty envelope was on the floor beside the desk. As she picked it up, Elizabeth absently mindedly turned it over and went to place it back on the desk, from where she assumed it had fallen. She stopped when she recognized the handwriting. Looking around wildly, she hurriedly began opening the desk drawers for the letter which once had been inside the envelope. Finding nothing, she went to the trashcan. The crumpled letter, bearing the distinctive handwriting, was there in the trash. She smoothed out the piece of paper, dreading reading it, but needing to know what was written.

 _Dear Constable Thornton,_

 _I was distressed to receive your most recent correspondence. As I made clear to you on several occasions when you were in Hamilton, and in my last letter, I do not think that you are a suitable match for my daughter. I believe it would be in everyone's best interest if you ended things before they continue any farther._

 _Cordially,_

 _William Thatcher_

Elizabeth sat on the floor next to the trashcan. Looking at the date on the letter, she realized that it had probably reached Jack within the last week. It would have been waiting for him when he returned injured from his trip and had found her dancing. She reread it, letting her father's words sink in.

" _Last letter"._ _What last letter?_

She went back to the desk and searched it again. Stuffed inside a book, she found it. It was dated two months ago, and basically said the same thing; Jack did not have the blessing of Elizabeth's parents. Jack had written to her father for his blessing and been refused . . . twice.

Elizabeth thought back to their fight. She had tried to accept Jack's explanation that his reason for drinking had been the deaths of the Mounties, the pain from his cracked ribs, his jealously. But in her heart, she always thought there was something more. Something making him feel unworthy of her. Something making him think that he was trying for something he could never have. Something that was hurting Jack deeply. _I could just kill my father_!, she thought angrily.

* * *

When Jack rode into town at 4:30, it was almost dark. He was cold and exhausted and the riding had been unbearably slow due to his still painful ribs. He had decided to avoid any type of pain medication, and had ended up getting off his horse and walking much of day, not getting nearly enough accomplished.

As he entered the jail, a gust of wind blew in, causing bits of paper to fly around the room. As the swirling papers landed on the floor, he recognized them as parts of the letters Mr. Thatcher had written, only now the letters were torn into tiny pieces. As he lay his gun down on his desk, he saw a single, perfectly intact, sheet of paper under the paper weight.

 _Dear Jack, I hope your day went well. Dinner's waiting whenever you get back. I love you forever, Elizabeth_

Jack put his hat back on and hurried out the door. When he entered the Café, he headed straight back to the kitchen, where he found Elizabeth helping Abigail.

Abigail took one look at the expression on Jack's face when he saw Elizabeth, and excused herself. Two steps out of the kitchen, Abigail turned around to retrieve a coffee pot. By then, Elizabeth's and Jack's lips had already found each other. They didn't even notice as Abigail walked around their intertwined bodies.

Jack and Elizabeth continued to kiss as customers, unaware of what was happening in the kitchen, came and went in the front dining room. Abigail passed the two occasionally to get food, but rather than stop embracing, Jack and Elizabeth simply moved around the corner into the parlor. Elizabeth leaned against the wall, her hands holding Jack as he pressed up against her, his mouth on hers.

By the time the couple finished re-uniting, Elizabeth's planned dinner was overdone.

"It was an interesting meal", Jack remarked later as he put down his fork and took a sip of water.

"If you hadn't kept me so occupied with your kisses, it wouldn't have been so overdone!", Elizabeth explained.

"The ingredients were a little unusual. I would never have thought to put some of them together", he said with an amused voice.

Elizabeth giggled. "I didn't have any rabbit for stew. I had to use what was left in the kitchen and what Abigail didn't need. I was afraid to go down to the root cellar", she admitted.

"That would explain the turnips and pickles in the pasta." Jack laughed.

"You're a Mountie, you're supposed to be brave . . . even in the face of possible disaster", she giggled again.

That evening, Abigail went upstairs and left Jack and Elizabeth alone in the parlor.

As they snuggled on the couch in their usual evening positions, Jack kept one foot firmly planted on the ground in an attempt to avoid temptation. His head rested on the couch's side arm. Elizabeth was resting against him, her head on his chest, careful to keep her weight on his uninjured side.

Jack closed his eyes, and gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"Elizabeth?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think about our future?"

"You know I do."

"And?", he prodded.

"And what?

"I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you too, Jack". She reached up and gave him a kiss, and then laid her head back on his chest. She loved the closeness of feeling his chest move with his breathing.

"So, why haven't you asked me to marry you yet?!" he asked, feigning annoyance.

"You know very well that it is the man's job to ask!", she said exasperated, looking at him and giving him a slight slap on his chest.

"And how exactly does a man go about asking the love of his life such an important question?", Jack inquired.

Elizabeth snuggled closer as she answered. She ran one finger gently along his chest, drawing circles around his shirt buttons.

"First of all, when the man thinks the time is right, he only needs one person's permission, and that's the woman's; no one else's matters", she said.

"Only need to ask the woman, got it", Jack replied as he kissed her head.

"It needs to be romantic . . . but not overly romantic."

"Got it. Romantic, but not too romantic." Jack said as if making a list.

"What else? Tell me more", he prodded her.

Elizabeth thought or a moment. "The gentleman doesn't have to actually get down on one knee, or dress fancy. He just needs to speak from the heart".

"Not on knee, no suit needed, got it", Jack said.

"A ring, of course," Elizabeth said.

"One ring, of course."

"Anything else?" he asked.

"It should be somewhere special", Elizabeth informed him.

"Anywhere with you is special."

"It should be private", she added.

"Mmm, I like private time with you," he said suggestively.

Elizabeth lifted her head from Jack's chest and looked him in the eye and then gazed at his mouth. She ran her finger slowly along his lips. "When we get married, there'll be a lot more private time," she said provocatively.

"I'm so glad you feel that way, Elizabeth, because I feel the same way", he whispered just before his lips touched hers.

Jack's mouth softly parted hers. Elizabeth felt the familiar tingling she had whenever he kissed her passionately. As their kisses intensified, her fingers began undoing the buttons of his shirt. She ran her hands along his chest, enjoying the feel of his muscles as she moved his shirt aside.

Touching her body, Jack knew that she wasn't wearing a corset. His hand untucked her blouse from her skirt. His fingers found their way underneath her chemise to gently stroke the bare skin of her back. His touch made her tremble.

"We've got to stop", she said, breathing heavily, as she pulled away.

"We're just kissing", Jack said a little too innocently. He grinned as he remembered how she had said those same words before.

"Well, if we keep kissing like this, we'll be doing 'things' before long!", Elizabeth said as she sat up and put her feet on the floor.

Elizabeth reached for the now cold cup of tea on the coffee table _. I just need to calm down and catch my breath,_ she thought _._

But Jack wasn't finished yet. He moved her hair off to the side and placed soft kisses on the nape of her neck. "I love you", he whispered huskily as he gently put his hand under the bottom of her blouse again, tracing his fingers along her sides. She shivered from his touch.

"Oh, Jack" she sighed as she turned to him, forgetting about the cup of tea she was holding in her lap.

Jack pulled her into a deep kiss.

She loved the taste of him, the feel of his hands on her.

His hands continued to roam the bare skin of her back, moving higher and higher under her chemise. His mouth was warm and inviting. She ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying his touches. When he placed kisses along her neck, she leaned her head back in pleasure. "Oh, Jack" she exhaled.

"Your tea is spilling", Jack murmured as he moved to nibble on her ear lobe.

"Mmmm, I don't care."

"It . . . might . . . stain . . . your . . . skirt", Jack managed to say between kisses.

"I'll get another one," she said breathlessly.

"You seem to have gone through an awful lot of clothes since we've been courting", Jack remarked quietly as he placed a row of kisses down her throat, getting dangerously close to her cleavage.

Elizabeth leaned back her head again.

"That's okay. When we're married, and doing 'things', I won't be wearing any clothes", she sighed.

Jack pulled away suddenly. "Okay, now we definitely have to stop", he said matter-of-factly.

Jack had thought about her body many times, but for her to actually say what he had thought, well that made it seem all the more real.

"We need to stop," he said again, abruptly standing up.

Elizabeth reached for his hand to pull him back to her, but Jack refused her hand.

"I think we are coming dangerously close to doing things." Jack said with a grin, revealing his dimples.

As he buttoned his shirt, he nonchalantly added "Anyway, I have stuff I need to start working on".

"Jack Thornton, are you telling me you have a list of stuff to do now!?" she asked with slight annoyance, already missing his touch and kisses.

Jack smiled, "Yes, actually I do."

"Well, when will you be back? How many items are on the list?"

"You should know, you gave me the list"

"I gave you a list? I didn't give you a list." She looked at him questioningly

"Good night, Elizabeth, I love you forever", he said with a smile, as he bent down and gave her a long kiss.

 _Men! What was that all about?!_ Elizabeth thought as she stood at the door and watched Jack walk down the street.

It was 2:00 in the morning, when Elizabeth jolted awake and sat upright in bed. Her eyes got wide and her mouth turned up in a smile. _A list!_

The End of Vignette Two

 _ **Dear Readers,**_

 _ **I'd love for you to review the story and let me know what your favorite parts of the entire story were. Thanks for reading, and thank you to everyone who posted reviews. I hope you enjoyed the story as well as Vignette number one.**_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11- Postscript

Dear Readers,

Once again I couldn't stay away from Jack and Elizabeth!

I have written a sequel to this story. It's called "Jack and Elizabeth Vignette Three - The Test – Don't Fail Me Now" and is posted separately on this website.

Find out if Jack remembers the "list". I hope you enjoy it!

Also, check out Vignettes, 4, 5, 6, and 7 to follow their story!


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